Medical pad



April 9, 1935.

W. M. SCHOLL MEDICAL PAD Filed Aug.y 22, 1931 /TZVEm/LT/T: faZZf/'czm 776. 667505Z.

Patented Apr. 9, i935 tion of New York ApplicationfAuguSt-ZZ, 19351Sera"l No. 558,721`y y v3. Glaims. This invention relatestoiinprovements inlinedical pads of the character'h'i'ghlydesirable for use in treating corns; lbunio'ns, callouses, andvarious vother physical ailments, and the invention also relates to an improved methodof making'pads of thefcharacter hereinafter describedalthough this invention vmay have other and various uses Vand purposes' as will-be apparent to one skilled in `the art.

As made heretofore, medicalpads of` various types, including those commonly'fattached to the body of a user by adhesive ineens, werelof substantially the same thickness throughout excluiveof the recess or` aperture frequently provided finsuch pads. Oi course; the major yobject of pads of this character is the relieving of kthe afflicted 'spot or portion from pressure, by transferring to or causing' al'healthy portiorrof the body to carry alloi the pressure inthe regionof the afflicted area. VWith regard to certain portions of the-body, a side ofla toe for example','undercer tain conditions a pad of the proper thickness-to relieve pressure onk the aiilicted spotv cannot be attached to thebody without discomfort vdue to the size ofthe pad, and if a-pad of lesser thickness is used, then the aiilicte'd Yportion not'given the proper relief and protection.- Consequently; occasion often warrants the u'seoffa-padfof variable thickness, yand the pads heretofore known-failed to provide this feature.A Anotherobjectionto'pads or this character as made Vin-thepastresides in the fact that after relatively short usage, vtheadhesive material'may be semeezed'out beyondt-he edges of the padf'and so `A'adhere to thefhosiery or other article of apparel'worn'by'the'user4 ofthe pad.

The present invention is designed'to overcome the above noted as well as other defects andobjectionsin the provision oi a medical pad embody- Aing a cushioning element varying in thickness.'

It is also an object of' this invention to *provide a medical pad including a cushioningelement'ofwhichonehalf l'is substantially twice as thick as the other half.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a medical pad so constructed that even under considerable pressure, the adhesive substance utilized in the pad will not squeeze out beyond the confines of the pad and so be in a position to adhere to articles of apparel that may be worn over the pad.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and novel method of making a padI of the character set forth herein.y

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and f advantages of: the 'present inventionhave been'above pointed out, others will'become `apparent from the following disclosures.

The invention rincludes these and other features of constructionand combinations of parts, and `method oimaking'the invention hereinafter described, and shown in a preferredform in the drawing as Imore particularly indicated by the claims. Y

On the drawing:r Y Y A lFigure 1 is aplan view of a medical'padernbodying principles ofthe present` invention.

VFigure 2 is a bottom plan view ofthe pad shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa vertical-sectional view of the' pad taken substantially on line III-1110i Figure l.

Figure 4 isa iragrnentaryplan view of parts used in aninitial step in the making4 ofthe pads. Figure 5 is'afragmentary perspective view of the cushioning means for th'efpad, illustrating a "20 further step in' the construction or `making, of the'pads, the casing not having been applied as yet.

Figure Gis a bottom plan View of thecovering u material for the pads. i l

Figure '7 is'a fragmentarytp plan view-of the covering applied to the-structure shown in Figure '5, and illustrating the final stepofthe making of ythe pads.

Figure Sis a vertical 'sectional viewvta'keny substantially as indicated by the line VIII- VIII of Figure '7. Y

Asshownon the drawing: y In the illustrated embodiment of the present K invention, as the'sam'e is seenV in Figuresl 1V to 3,

there. is shown a medical pad: comprising, a

vcovering I8, of .any suitableV material, such as cloth' ta1: `e,havingn an adhesive 'undersurface I I. Attached to the covering IiiY in any suitable manner; asbyglue, is a cushioning elementf I2 of vany suitable fabric, felt, sponge rubber, orjequivalent materiali Another piece'IS of s imilarcus'hi'oningmaterial is likewise` secured tothe element I2, the" piece V'I3l'b'eing of anydesirable size. In the present showing this piece is substantially one-half the size of the element I2, whereby the complete cushioning element for the pad is substantially twice as thick in one portion as in the remaining portion. To provide a suitable recess for the reception of the aiicted portion of a users body, both pieces I2 and I3 of cushioning material are apertured as at I4, the aperture not extending through the covering I0.

It will be especially noted that the adhesive undersurface I I of the covering I0 does not ex- .tirely on the cushioning piece I2.

tend entirely to the outer edge of this covering but terminates over the cushioning element well in from the edge thereof, whereby there is no chance for the adhesive substance to squeeze out when pressure is applied on the pad and thus be in a position to adhere to the apparel of a user (Figure 3). Thecushioning element is also provided with an adhesive undersurface I5, and in this instance, the adhesive undersurface is en- This adhesive undersurface I may be either a strip of adhesive tape glued to the cushioning element, an adhesive coating on the cushioning element, or it maybe provided in any other desired manner. As is the case with the adhesive surface II, the adhesive surface I5 is also set in somewhat from the outer edge of the pad, so there will be no danger of any adhesive substance adhering to the apparel of a user.

It will be obvious, of course, if so desired, that the cushioning piece I2 may be disposed between the smaller cushioning piece I3 and the cover I0. In this instance, the adhesive undersurface I5 would be applied partially to the cushioning piece I2 and partially to the cushioning piece I3.

The present invention also embodies a new and novel method. of making pads of the character shown in Figures 1 'to 3. inclusive. Of course, in commercial production, it is advisable to simultaneously form a composite fabric construction suitable for a great number of pads, and then cut the pad from the composite structure.

With reference now to Figures 4 to 8 inclusive,

' it will be seen that the rst stepin the method of making the pads consists of the joining of a plurality of spaced strips I3a of cushioning material, corresponding in the nshed pad to the piece I3, and a sheet Il!a of cushioning material, corresponding to the piece I2 in a nished pad. Of course, the sheet I2a completely covers one side of'any desired number of spaced strips I3a. After the joining of the sheet and strips, one side of the structure thus formed is provided with an adhesive surface I5 mentioned above, and as also pointed out hereinabove, this adhesive surface may be provided entirely on one side of the sheet I2, as seen in the drawing, or partially on the strips` I3a and on the sheet I2a between the strips, depending entirely upon which side of the cushioning element structure it is desired to place the covering.

When the cushioning element structure is provided with the adhesive, the next operation is to punch apertures I4 at spaced intervals through the cushioning means. As is seen clearly in Figure 5, each aperture is punched over an edge of a strip I3a Yso that the strips I3a are notched at intervals and complete apertures are punched through the sheet I2e. 'Ihe covering of the pads is provided, in this instance, by means of a sheet I0@ of covering material, corresponding to the covering I II shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, provided at one side thereof with spots of adhesive material II.. Each ofthe adhesive spots II is of a suiiicient size to overlie an aperture I4 but not of the size of a pad. The sheet Illa is laid over the cushioning element structure so that each spot of adhesive material II lies over one of the apertures III, and then the pads are cut from the composite structure thus formed as indicated by the dotted lines I6 of Figure '7.

Of course, if' the same is not desired for any reason, the covering may be left entirely off and the completed pads formed of only the cushioning element pieces I2 and I3 and a proper adhesive substance I5.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a medical pad which, by its inherent construction, prevents the adherence of adhesive substances to articles of apparel worn by a user of the pad, and which, due to its construction, may be iitted properly to portions of the human body not capable of being properly fitted by pads of the character heretofore known. It will further be apparent that I have provided a new and novel method of making the pads, simple in performance, and vresulting in an economical manufacture of the pads.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may bevaried through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of making medical pads, consisting of joining to a side of a sheet of cushioning material aplurality of spaced strips of cushioning material, providing the structure thus formed with an adhesive surface, and cutting said pads from the composite structure with the line of each cut crossing the edge of a strip whereby the thickness of each pad includes partially said sheet and partially said sheet and a strip.

2. The method of making a medical pad with a goodly portion thereof thicker than the remainder, consisting of joining side to side a sheet of cushioning material and a strip of cushioning material, and cutting said pad from the composite structure With the line of cut crossing the edge of said strip so that said pad includes partially the thickness, of said sheet and partially the thickness of said sheet and strip.

3. The method of making medical pads, consisting of arranging strips of cushioning material in spaced relationship, laying a sheet of cushioning material over and attaching the same to said strips, providing the fabricated structure thus formed with an adhesive surface, punching apertures through the composite structure thus formed, securing a covering over said composite structure and apertures, and cutting out said pads with the line of each cut crossing the edge of a strip.

WILLIAM M. SCHOLL. 

